The Wishing World by Todd FahnestockMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received as an ARC from NetGalley.
Lorelei lost her family. In one instant, they were gone. Her Auntie Carrie and Uncle Jone took her in to live with their family. Lorelei missed her family very much though and had to find out what happened to them. For a year Lorelei had been searching for her family and for answers and now her Aunt and Uncle were selling her house. The answers may be in there so she snuck back into her old abode. Right before her family disappeared, they were camping in the mountains looking for Narolev’s Comet. She remembered that her Dad said that he had a piece of the comet in the basement and that it was hidden in the crawl space. Lorelei went to find the hidden piece of Narolev’s Comet, but found a whole lot more. She found a door to another world - the Wishing World. After freeing the Princess of the Eternal Sea, Lorelei was confronted by the Ink King. It was then that she remembered her family’s last camping trip and seeing the inky tendrils through the tent. It was the Ink King and the Ink King stole Lorelei’s family. Lorelei travels throughout the Wishing World also known as Veloran. In her travels she is accompanied by Gruffy the Griffon, Pip the toucan, Squeak the mouse and Ripple the Princess of the Eternal Sea. They refer to Lorelei as a Doolivanti which is a traveler or a wish maker. Lorelei discovers so many new things in her travels and so many strange creatures. The most interesting is the Mirror Man and he is also the most familiar. In the end, it comes between her family and the world of Veloran that she is slowly and unintentionally ripping apart.
The Wishing World by Todd Fahnestock began as a difficult read and ended on a good note. The book reminds me of a twisted cross between The Neverending Story and a Roald Dahl book. There is a main character in a world they do not belong, saving a princess, riding a large protector (in this case a Griffon) and saving the created world. I hear Dahl in the creative names given to the animals, food and flora. I found the strange names of creatures very difficult to read as well as the Shakespearean way of speaking by Ripple. The story seemed like a whirlwind of confusion until I hit the part when Lorelei met the Mirror Man and we find out who he really is. The story started to pick up, but I never really understood completely why Lorelei had to leave to save Veloran. All-in-all, I did enjoy the book even though there many confusing parts. I did love the ending. There is something to be said for short, one-word endings. Very nice touch. Would I recommend this book? Yes, I think I would. It wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read, but I do think it’s worth reading. I think it would be a good book for anyone in grades 5 through 8.
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